Tesla recalls 3 million cars as part of China-wide push to stop hidden door handles

Tesla is recalling conscionable shy of 3 cardinal vehicles successful China arsenic portion of a nationwide effort to alert conveyance owners to hidden exigency doorway releases, which tin trap occupants successful the lawsuit of a clang oregon a fire.

Reuters reported connected Friday that 11 carmakers successful China are issuing recalls related to the problem. Nine manufacturers, including Tesla, volition instal informing labels connected their vehicles that assistance occupants place the exigency doorway releases. Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Geely brands Zeekr and Lynk & Co. are besides recalling EVs. All 11 companies volition besides propulsion bundle updates arsenic portion of the recall.

Manual doorway releases person go a occupation successful caller years arsenic automakers similar Tesla made physics doorway latches the modular mode of getting successful and retired of a car.

Electronic latches marque it easier for owners to usage their smartphone oregon an NFC pat paper to unfastened doors. But they tin neglect successful the lawsuit of a collision. Automakers that usage physics latches typically instal a manual grip that tin beryllium utilized successful the lawsuit of an emergency, but these are often tucked distant successful unexpected places oregon hidden down doorway panels.

Following a two-year review, China successful February said it would prohibition hidden, electronically-actuated exterior doorway handles from 2027.

Late past year, the U.S.’s apical automotive information regulator opened an probe into Tesla’s door-latching system aft Bloomberg reporting enactment a spotlight connected the issue. The bureau is besides looking astatine creating a caller regularisation that could alteration the safety requirements for specified systems. One lawmaker has adjacent proposed authorities that would necessitate manual releases to beryllium “intuitive to usage and readily accessible for the occupant.”

Tesla is not the lone institution that has leaned connected hard-to-locate manual releases arsenic a backup to physics doorway latches. Rivian’s customers and employees raised concerns past twelvemonth astir the company’s ain manual merchandise connected its R1 vehicles, which requires passengers to remove a sheet and propulsion a cord. The institution subsequently said it would determination that merchandise to a more accessible spot connected the newer, cheaper R2, which launched this year.

In 2025, Ford concisely stopped income of the Mustang Mach-E and issued a callback to trim the chances of its physics doorway latches malfunctioning if the vehicles mislaid power.

Tesla, which popularized the usage of these flush exterior handles and physics latches, has said it is moving on redesigning its doorway handles moving forward.